NORFOLK, Va. — On Nov. 24, The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) will serve hundreds of sailors for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The CVN 69 culinary team is responsible for serving more than 1,200 deployed sailors a day which includes two to three meals. With this in mind, it took the culinary team countless hours to prepare a Thanksgiving meal that would serve large enough portions for all those "on-duty" during the holiday.
The award-winning culinary staff told News 3 they pride themselves on creating dishes that help brighten the Sailors' days, especially given the distance they are from their family and loved ones.
"We call ourselves the heartbeat of the ship, we are the morale of the crew, no matter what everybody has to eat, you could be having the worst day, but you come to a good turkey and a nice meal and some seasoned mash potatoes, you know it might just turn your day around," said Jasmine Powell, Cargo Chief of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
With an extensive Thanksgiving menu, the staff will be cooking dishes such as roast turkey, spiral ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato yams and much more.
On the ship the sailors try to create a "family-oriented" environment which includes eating meals together.
The culinary team hopes to bring a sense of comfort to sailors while they enjoy the holiday on duty.
For more information on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN 69/Carrier Strike Group 2 visit www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn69.com
